We didn’t have the privilege of meeting Hasan Askari while he walked this earth, but we have come to know him through his son Musa, and his abiding spirit that continues to live through his words. As Hasan himself said, “A book written by a sage is like the residence in which
he still lives.” We felt especially drawn to Hasan because he was among those rare seekers who looked both within and then is also able to look without. He recognized, “Before we ask about the other out
there, we should ask about the other in us, our nobler and loftier
neighbor and companion, Soul.” But instead of becoming caught up solely within his personal inner explorations as many do, Hasan turned his attention to the problems that fill our world. His work speaks of his heartfelt desire to help others look past the outward religious dissimilarities that separate us and instead discover the great truths that unite us all at the core.Enlightenment can be described as an inner awakening that allows us to see past the illusion of separate forms and realize the Oneness of All That Is. Hasan wrote, “The life which is multiple and diverse at the
human end is One at the Divine end.” He was not the first person to awaken to this truth, and he won’t be the last, but it was extremely important to him that we all see beyond our humanity and make a connection at the level of the soul. Hasan recognized that while religion has often been a huge bone of contention, it can also become a tool for unity when we understand that all souls are united by the same eternal truths, and those seeds of truth can be found within religion when we look past the surface.In the introduction of his translation of “Solomon’s Ring: The Life and Teachings of a Sufi Master,” Hasan said, “I was looking for a
language which could make dialogue possible and mutually enriching
between people of different religious traditions. I was already free
from sectarian and religious dogmatism…Real speech was for me a
linking of soul with soul.” Hasan found that language when he discovered the distinction between belief and faith. He wrote, “While
belief is a part of the cumulative tradition, faith is the personal
immediate possession of each individual by which one relates to one’s
life…faith is thus an inner ability to relate and communicate without
fear”

So much of the world’s self-imposed misery could be avoided if humanity embraced that understanding. As Hasan recognized, we often mistakenly cling to the trappings of religion, much as we cling to the outer trappings and traditions of our national origins, because we mistakenly believe they define us. In doing so, we fail to ask ourselves how something that is essentially non-material (the Self or soul) could be defined by something associated with the material. We become militant in their defense because we fear being swallowed up and lost, but as Hasan pointed out, “Love is the harmony into which
all contradictions resolve.” Love is the glue that holds us in oneness, but we cannot see it when we’re tied to outward appearance. But if we dug up several different types of trees and looked only at the roots, we would find that it’s very difficult to tell them apart.However, as Hasan recognized, opening ourselves to others requires courage. Hasan’s son Musa relates that we must first recognize that the ‘other’ is not truly ‘other,’ but “someone from whom one can learn; that their experience has something deeply meaningful to offer.” We find this a frightening prospect because, as Musa points out, we “run the risk of being transformed positively by the witness and testimony of the other.” Our first challenge, if we wish to see positive changes in our world, is to stop seeing anyone else as ‘other’ and embrace Oneness.We are surely at a critical time in man’s history. Certainly human beings have always been at odds, but we have never before had the capability of ending our arguments by obliterating life as we know it. If there was ever a time to heed the words of visionaries and peacemakers like Hasan Askari, it is now. Our differences have not given us anything of value, our oneness can.Where there is no other, there is no fear. To the extent this
awareness is obscured, fear will rise in the same degree—Hasan Askari

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Lee & Steven Hager, the authors of “The Beginning of Fearlessness: Quantum Prodigal Son.” Writing about themselves, “We’re just like you. We have no special qualifications, but after years of struggle, we discovered the key to living a life of fearlessness. If we could, you can too.” Please continue reading more about Lee & Steven and their unique journey of living a life of “fearlessness” http://www.thebeginningoffearlessness.com/

"As soon as you talk of the soul you talk of the whole of humanity. There is no other conclusion." Hasan Askari

"This is not a journey for the feet; the feet bring us only from land to land; nor need you think of coach or ship to carry you away; all this order of things you must set aside and refuse to see: you must close the eyes and call instead upon another vision which is to be waked within you, a vision, the birthright of all, which few turn to see." (PLOTINUS - The Enneads)